1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrode plate for electrolyzing a solution of a compound comprising hydrogen (hereinafter referred to as a “hydrogen-comprising-compound solution” as needed) at low energy and an electrolysis apparatus that uses the electrode plate and can implement electrolysis at low energy, and in particular, to the electrode plate and the electrolysis apparatus using the same for efficiently electrolyzing a compound comprising hydrogen (hereinafter referred to as a “hydrogen-comprising-compound”) such as an organic compound, which is liquid in an operation condition like low alcohol, at the low energy. The present invention further relates to an electrode plate unit that can stably generate a large amount of hydrogen. In addition, the present invention relates to a method of using such the electrolysis apparatus and electrolyzing the hydrogen-comprising-compound solution.
2. Description of the Related Art
These years from viewpoints of a depletion of an existing resource such as petroleum and an environmental protection such as a discharge suppression of carbon dioxide, hydrogen is taken notice of as an alternative fuel for replacing the petroleum.
Conventionally, in order to manufacture the hydrogen as such an energy source, electrolysis of water is general.
For example, in electrolyzing water hydrogen is generated according to a following equation (1):H2O→H2+1/2O2.  (1)
In this case, although in order to obtain the hydrogen by electrolyzing the water, a potential difference of 1.23V is needed, it is impossible to electrolyze the water due to a high electric resistance thereof unless the potential difference not less than 1.23 V is given to the water. Therefore, although in order to generate the hydrogen, a solution where an electrolyte such as alkali is dissolved is electrolyzed, it is necessary to remove an alkali compound generated as a byproduct and there is also a problem that a decomposition ratio is low.
As another method for generating hydrogen, a thermal decomposition of water is thought. However, in order to obtain the hydrogen by thermally decomposing the water, it is necessary to decompose it under a high temperature of around 4,300 degrees Celsius and thereby larger energy is needed, so it is not practical.
In addition, because although as a method for generating the hydrogen without adding external energy, it is thought the method for chemically reacting a metal and the water by adding an alkali metal such as aluminum, magnesium, or sodium, or an alkali earth metal, these metals are comparatively expensive and these chemical reactions are rapid, so it is difficult to industrially utilize the method.
In addition, at pages 1 and 2 of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Hei 4-59601 is described a method for obtaining hydrogen from water with using a silicon particle whose particle diameter is from 30 μm to 150 μm.
However, in the method a hydrogen generation reaction is unstable and nothing but a very little amount of hydrogen can be generated.
In addition, conventionally, in a method for obtaining hydrogen from methanol, it is said that a temperature not less than 200 degrees Celsius is necessary in order to reform the methanol and obtain the hydrogen, and reforming is generally implemented at a few hundred temperature. In addition, because a generation of byproducts such as CO and CO2 is accompanied in a reaction of the reforming, it is difficult to use the hydrogen obtained by the reforming of the methanol as clean energy as it is, so it is necessary to take a countermeasure for removing the byproducts.
Therefore, there is a strong request for an electrolysis technology that does not accompany the generation of the byproducts such as CO and CO2 and can implement electrolysis at low energy.
Accordingly, there is a first request for providing an electrode plate for electrolysis that can implement the electrolysis at low energy, particularly the electrolysis of a hydrogen-comprising-compound solution. There is a second request for providing an electrolysis apparatus that can implement the electrolysis at low energy. Furthermore, there are third and fourth requests for implementing the electrolysis at the low energy, particularly the electrolysis of the hydrogen-comprising-compound solution, and providing an electrode plate unit, which can stably provide a large amount of hydrogen, and a novel electrolysis method of the hydrogen-comprising-compound solution.